1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus and a recording and reproducing method. Particularly, it relates to a recording and reproducing apparatus and a recording and reproducing method in which output signals from a reproducing unit are supplied to a recording unit for performing recording operation.
2. Description of Related Art
As media for recording information signals, such as, audio signals, optical discs which are high-density recording media have been broadly used. The optical discs are randomly accessible, have small diameter and thickness, and are housed in cartridges. Therefore, the optical discs are characterized by their easiness in handling. Such optical discs are roughly classified into optical discs capable of repeated recording/reproduction, such as, magneto-optical discs and phase-changed type optical discs, and optical discs for reproduction only, such as, so-called compact discs.
By using the above-mentioned recordable optical disc, since information signals like audio signals are recorded as digital signals, reproduced sounds of high quality may be obtained. In addition, editing and duplication may be carried out easily without substantially deteriorating the sound quality.
Meanwhile, as reproducing apparatuses for the so-called compact discs (CDs) as described above, various reproducing apparatuses which have a media exchange mechanism (changer) capable of housing a plurality of discs in a predetermined housing section, then taking out the discs in an arbitrary order, and continuously reproducing the discs have been proposed. However, with respect to recording apparatuses for carrying out recording on recordable optical discs, few of these recording apparatuses currently have the changer function.
Therefore, in sequentially recording information signals like audio signals onto a plurality of disc-shaped recording media, the disc-shaped recording media must be sequentially inserted one by one into a recording apparatus by manual operation. It has been difficult to carry out such editing operation over a long period of time.
Thus, a recording and reproducing apparatus has been demanded which is capable of selecting information signals like audio signals to be recorded on each disc-shaped recording medium and designating in advance the disc-shaped recording medium for recording such information signals and which has a media exchange mechanism so that it is not necessary to sequentially insert the media one by one into the recording apparatus by manual operation.